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There is a groundswell of support in defence of acclaimed star Zeta-Jones following she encountered disparaging remarks across platforms about her looks during a red carpet function.

Zeta-Jones attended a promotional function in Hollywood last month where a TikTok interview featuring her role in the new series of Wednesday was eclipsed because of discussion about her looks.

Voices of Support

Laura White, 58, described the backlash "absolute rubbish", noting that "men aren't given this sell-by/use-by date imposed on women".

"Men don't have this sell-by/use-by date which women face," said Laura White.

Writer and commentator Sali Hughes, 50, said differently from men, females are subject to unfair scrutiny as they age and Zeta-Jones should be able to appear as she wishes.

Online Reaction

In the video, uploaded to social media and had more than 2.5m views, Zeta-Jones, hailing from Wales, discussed the pleasure of exploring her role, the Addams Family matriarch, in the latest season.

However a significant number of the hundreds of comments centered on her age and were disparaging towards her appearance.

The negative remarks sparked significant support of Zeta-Jones, including a popular post from a social media user which said: "People criticize females when they get too much work done and attack them when they don't have sufficient procedures."

Commenters also came to her defence, with one writing: "She is growing older naturally and she looks stunning."

Others described her as "beautiful" and "so pretty", and one comment read that "she looks her age - that's called reality."

A Statement Arrival

She appeared at the studio recently with a bare face to "prove a point" and to demonstrate there was no set "blueprint" for what a woman in her 50s should look like.

Similar to numerous females in her demographic, she said she "takes care of herself" not to look younger but in order to feel "improved" and be "in good health".

"Growing older is a gift and provided we do it gracefully, this is what really matters," she stated further.

Ms White stated that males are not held to equivalent aesthetic benchmarks, adding "people don't ask how old famous men might be - they just look 'fantastic'."

She said it was one of the reasons she entered the pageant's division the classic category, to prove that females of a certain age continue to exist" and "still have it".

A Fundamental Problem

Sali Hughes, an author and presenter of Welsh origin, said that while Zeta-Jones was "stunning" that is "not the point", noting she should be free to look as she wishes absent her years facing scrutiny.

She stated the online abuse proved not a single woman is "immune" and that females should not face the "ongoing theme" suggesting they are insufficient or young enough - a problem that is "galling, no matter who the victim is".

When asked if men experience identical criticism, she said "no, never", explaining women were targeted merely for demonstrating the "boldness" to be present on social media while growing older.

A Double Bind

Even with cosmetic companies advocating for "age-defiance", she commented women were still judged whether they aged without intervention or opted for procedures such as plastic surgery or injections.

"When a woman ages naturally, commenters state you ought to try harder; if you undergo treatments, you are criticized for failing to age well," she added.